Secret Mens and Secret Womens Business at Sail Port Stephens

by Jody O'Brien on 19 Mar 2009
The boat might be called Secret Men’s Business #1, and owned by a 3 strong syndicate of keel boat loving boys from RPAYC in Sydney’s north, but there’s plenty of girl power on the 42 footer, originally built for well known Adelaide yachtie Geoff Boettcher.

And both the boy and girl power will be soaking up the fun at Sail Port Stephens next month.

From her maiden launch in South Australia in 1996, this yacht has done some sea miles, and she’s adding Sail Port Stephens to her log book in a few weeks time.

Secret Men’s Business #1 is owned by Rob Curtis, Ross Trembath and Doug Snedden and sailed out of the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club on Pittwater in Sydney’s north, with a crew made up of family and friends... and not a professional in sight !

The crew has heard plenty of good things about Sail Port Stephens from 2008 competitors.

'We’ve watched the event grow, and the positive vibes about the way it is run from everyone who sailed there last year was enough to get us organised to enter for 2009....we love the fact that it’s so close to home, but enough of a distance that we’ll feel like we’ve been away..' said Rob.

It’s a fun and eclectic mix of young and old, and the number cruncher amongst them has calculated that the magic average age of the 'old' is 50, and most of the young can be categorised as teenagers or in their early twenties, a number of whom have done their first Rolex Sydney to Hobart Race on the boat.

Between the 3 owners and their families, there is a collective total of 26 Hobarts, and years of experience on classes like the 505’s and Hobie Cats – with the Curtis’s in particular, very familiar with the Port Stephens waterways, having sailed there competitively before.

From their experiences, they’ve got some local knowledge up their sleeves for the Commodores Cup and the Port Stephens Trophy, something they’re keen to use to their advantage !

Well aware of the delights of the local area, on and off the water, the Secret Men’s Business crew took full advantage of everything in the Port Stephens region last year, cruising up from Sydney for an extended weekend away to take some time out on the local golf courses, climb to the top of Mount Tomaree and enjoy the great food and wine on offer in the Bay.

The SMB crew are comfortable offshore as well, and since purchasing the boat in 2006, their regular sailing activities are based around offshore events like the Rolex Sydney to Hobart, the Audi Sydney to Southport and the CYCA Bluewater Pointscore, whilst also partaking in the winter delights of sailing at Audi Hamilton Island Race Week and Meridien Marinas Airlie Beach Race Week.

Their offshore adventures will continue with the two feeder events from Pittwater to Newcastle on Saturday 18th April and then onto Port Stephens on Sunday 19th April.

Secret Men’s Business often morphs into Secret Woman’s Business for Saturday Point Scores and Ladies Twilight racing at RPAYC at Pittwater, but everyone will be all in together at the Bay and joined by a collection of the (almost) grown up kids from all the families – if of course, the kids are not busy sailing Farr 40’s, match racing or otherwise occupied on Wot Yot....

Sail Port Stephens racing:

20-22 April - Commodores Cup (PHS)
23 April - Lay Day – Lunching Mischief - Long Lazy Lunch at Peppers
24-26 April - Yachting NSW IRC Championship
- Port Stephens Trophy ( PHS)

From little things, big things grow, and Sail Port Stephens would not be possible without the support of the foundation partner group of Nelson Bay Diggers, Shoal Bay Resort and Spa, Peppers Anchorage and All Seasons Salamander Shores –as well as the resource contributions of the supporting partner group in SLAM, d’Albora Marina, Yachting NSW and Business Port Stephens, an initiative of Port Stephens Council.

Wild Oats Wines also joins as a supporting partner this year, and their wonderful range of reds and whites, as well as a stunning rose, will be the wine in everyone’s glass at the regatta.

For more info and to enter, go to www.sailportstephens.com.au